Kevin Durant and James Harden spent the first three seasons of the latter’s career as members of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Together the pair enjoyed immense success, ultimately reaching the 2012 NBA Finals — where they were defeated in five games by LeBron James’ Miami Heat.
After not signing a contract extension to remain in OKC, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets.
A little less than 10 years later, Durant and Harden were reunited once more on the Brooklyn Nets.
Because Durant has such a unique perspective on Harden as a player and person, he can offer insight few others can on his teammate and good friend.
Speaking to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Durant got brutally honest about what Harden’s stint with the Thunder was truly all about.
“(It) taught him about the business of basketball, talking about what winning meant,” he said.
“We went to the Finals, and we were expected to win every game. So that is a blessing to have that coming into the league. A lot of high picks like him go to losing teams and build a losing mentality. So, he learned what it takes to win, and he used that to catapult him into being a superstar.”
Durant always keeps it real. Whether he is beefing with celebrities or talking trash to the LA Lakers – he can consistently be counted on to tell it how it is.
As such, it’s safe to presume that if he’s saying all this about Harden, he definitely means it.
Will the pair be able to reach the Finals together this year and claim the title that eluded them in 2012? Time will tell.
More must-reads: